By: LA Perkel
Well, it started out quietly enough with a member walking in around 4pm by his lonesome. Simon promptly opened a bottle of 2007 Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru ‘Sous le dos D’Ane’. This is a recent buy for us and we were so impressed by the wine’s purity and precision that we sent out an offer to our clientele singing the wine’s praises. Needless to say, we had a successful run with it. It was great to revisit this wine and we were ecstatic that it delivered. The nose showed wet stones, lemon, green apple, and a hint of oak. On the palate it had a round texture with roasted hazelnuts, stones, quince, pear, and a vibrant, focused acidity. Still for a Meursault, this wine lacked a middle palate structure and showed a more racy side, although with air, it did gain some richness with subtle tropical notes. The finish hangs on with a chalky note.
The white was followed by the opulent, ripe, and mouth-coating rich 2006 Scarecrow. This wine is a hedonist’s delight as it doesn’t hold back. It’s like a blackberry pie with shavings of bittersweet chocolate and a touch of licorice. Just because this is Graileys and we heed our own rules, the elegant, vibrant, and complex 1969 Remoissenet Clos Vougeot hits the table next. Compellingly fresh with bright red fruits, savory rhubarb, and a touch of earth and mushrooms. Silky textured. We’ve enjoyed some great moments with this wine. The sad news is, there’s one bottle left in someone’s stash. But on a good note, we’ve had great moments with this wine. We vowed that we were going to save that last bottle for a very special occasion… we’ll see. 2001 ‘Bin 707’ Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia was opened next. This was clearly a great wine for the long haul; tannic structure balanced by massive fruit. Unless I had 24 hours to decant, I won’t touch this bottle for another 5 years, at least. It was more expressive on the nose with mulberry, eucalyptus, cedar spice, blackberry, and plums, but the palate had grippy tannins, brooding and compact core, it was an effort getting to the fruit. In contrast, the 2004 Beringer ‘Steinhauer Ranch’, Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain was open and plush with smooth, sweet tannins and pronounced fruitiness. Aromatic cassis, vanilla, black cherries and a touch of loamy earth.